The Road to Amaranthine
by KingOfPromise
Summary: Harlow Cousland and Nathaniel Howe bond over Delilah.


A light puff of air escaped Harlow's lungs as she laid on her mat. Her eyes were still closed, despite the fact that she had stirred from her slumber. For a moment she listened to the sound of the wind whistling through the tall trees of the Wending Wood. On her right side she could faintly hear the soft crackling sound of the fire she and her companions started hours prior. Rolling onto her side, she tried to let sleep take her again but she was failing... Miserably. She'd feel it in the morning. She'd be cranky in the morning, though she knew she couldn't blame anyone but herself.

Good thing she and Velanna were already a day or so past their first impressions. Granted, their first impression did consist of Velanna trying to crush them all with animated oak trees. Harlow rolled over on her side again, groaning. This time her eyes fluttered open, looking up at the trees. She laid there for a moment, her eyes searching through the tops of the trees for stars. Not for any particular reason, just because she needed a task. Nights like this she felt restless. The weight of the world, literally, on her shoulders. She focused on the crackling sounds of the fire once again.

Harlow propped herself up on her shoulders and looked around the campsite, a force of habit. She wanted to make sure there was nothing lurking around the outskirts of the fire. As her eyes wandered she noticed Anders sleeping under a far tree, the small kitten, Ser Pounce-A-Lot nestled under his arm. She smiled to herself, letting her eyes settle on Oghren snoring amongst a pile of bottles. Where he was finding all that ale was beyond her. The next sight that caught her dreamy eyes was Nathaniel. Except he wasn't sleeping like the rest of the team. He was sitting upright, staring right into the fire.

"Nate? What're you doing?" She asked sitting up, and letting out a little yawn. His gaze into the fire remained unwavering. It was as if he hadn't even heard her. Crawling over, she prodded his side a little with her finger. Snapping back he instinctively gripped his bow, ready to defend himself. "Easy! It's just me." Harlow spoke in a whisper.

Nate turned back to the fire and exhaled. "My apologies... I'm just a little bit on edge right now." Harlow sat down next to him, keeping a tiny bit of distance between them. She was still wary about how close she'd gotten to him in such a short amount of time. It was strange, feeling this way about a man that she should probably hate. His father single handedly put together the demise of her own family, and yet she found herself longing for him. There was something about him that drew her attention. The expert way he cared for his bow or the snarky remarks he made to Oghren or Anders. She honestly wasn't sure what it was, but seeing him like this made her heart ache.

"What plagues you?" Harlow asked, looking at him with soft eyes. She knew that he might not exactly be forthcoming with the information. Nathaniel had never been one that was okay with showing weakness. He was a strong nobleman and it was his duty to maintain his composure. This was something that he would require assistance for. "My sister." He said quietly, dropping his head a little. Harlow remembered hearing that Delilah was alive and in Amaranthine, but past that? Nothing. Nathaniel was right to be concerned. Harlow remembered how afraid she was when Fergus had gone missing at the beginning of the Blight.

"You needn't worry, we will find your sister. We're only about a day's journey from Amaranthine." Harlow was doing her best to sound reassuring, but once again she knew how Nathaniel felt. Nothing would ease his mind until he saw that his sister was safe and sound. "What if she's hurt? In danger... Or worse?" He said picking up a stick and prodding the flames before them. Nathaniel had always been the most reserved member of the group, but this was not the same. Usually he was stuck in brooding, but now he was hurting.

Concerned.

Nathaniel had lost so much of his family in the last year; it just didn't seem fair for him to lose his sister on top of it all. Hoping for the best, Harlow reached over and wrapped her arms around Nathaniel's shoulders. "You can't think like that. We will find your sister, and everything will be fine. I know people always say, 'I know how you feel' but they really don't. In this instance, I know exactly how you feel." He looked down at her, tensing slightly at her touch but not objecting. Her presence calmed him a bit, but not so much that he completely relaxed. "When the Blight started, my brother had just left home. I wasn't sure if I would ever see him again. It was terrifying, but I found him. I'm confident that we'll find your sister and it'll all be fine."

He looked at her, baffled. "How is it that you stay so… hopeful about such things?"

Harlow was quiet and considered this for a long moment. If she was being completely honest with herself and Nathaniel she would have told him that it was all a strategically put together act. The Warden-Commander was tormented by nightmares almost nightly, but didn't have the luxury of succumbing to them. Too many lives depended on her strength. Nathaniel included. "A lot of practice."

Despite her smile, Nathaniel could see what laid behind her eyes. The concealment. There was no compulsion to ask what it was. Nate had spent many nights with this woman, studying her. He liked to think that he had a good handle on her personality. Typically he would've called her out on her lies, her blatant deceit, or half truth, but for whatever reason he felt restraint. "I hope to possess that kind of strength one day."

"You already do." Harlow told him, her hand finding his and giving it a reassuring squeeze. He didn't squeeze back right away, battling with himself for a moment. Trying desperately to decide if this was what he wanted. The direction he wanted to go. He wasn't sure… But as he squeezed his calloused hand against her's he realized that he didn't have to think that far ahead. One moment at a time.


End file.
